Poetic Listening

“Poetry enhances my capacity to both listen for a speak to a deeper truth, within myself and in others.”

For many years I have explored and linked the connections between poetry and peacebuilding. I have come to believe that when we experience, when we speak and hear honesty and truth, several things are present. First, the moment and the language shared have a simple and natural quality, so much so that we may not notice its extraordinary depth and value. Second, the beauty of the moment and emergent language has poetic eminence. What I find is that poetry enhances my capacity to both listen for and speak to a deeper truth, within myself and in others. I would call this poetic listening, and I think it can be developed and practiced…

From “Supporting Creative, Whole Peacebuilders: An Apprenticeship Program,” by John Paul Lederach, in Faith and Practice in Conflict Resolution: Toward a Multidimensional Approach, edited by Rachel M. Goldberg.

read

Once downloaded, PDFs can be translated via Google Translate

english

book

Reflective Peacebuilding: A Planning, Monitoring and Learning Toolkit

A toolkit intended to improve peacebuilders’ ability to be reflective practitioners which involves enhancing peacebuilders’ capacity to design and impact transformative change, and track and improve upon those changes over time in unpredictable conflict contexts.

2007